ESRB Rates The Elder Scrolls Online Mature, Bethesda Disagrees

January 22, 2014 Written by Jason Dunning

Expected to be rated T for Teen, the ESRB has informed Bethesda that The Elder Scrolls Online will instead be given an M for Mature, which the company has said they disagree with. As both Skyrim and Oblivion were rated Mature (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was Teen) upon their release though, this shouldn’t be too surprising.

Here’s their official statement on the matter:

The ESRB advised us that it has given The Elder Scrolls Online a Mature rating. While we may disagree with the ESRB’s determination, we do not plan to challenge the rating, and we are unwilling to change the game’s content to achieve a different rating. The game we have created is the one we want our fans to be able to play.

As a result of the ESRB rating, we are in the process of promptly updating everything with the required rating and age gates, including game trailers, web sites, and ads. Thanks for your understanding. We can’t wait to welcome players into The Elder Scrolls Online soon.

A detailed rating summary from the ESRB for The Elder Scrolls Online should arrive soon, with the game scheduled to release on April 4th for PC and Mac, and the PS4 and Xbox One versions expected some time in June.

What do you think of The Elder Scrolls Online being rated Mature? Have you played the beta and agree with it? Let us know in the comments below.